Paparazzi Insight

Last night walking across St James Park, the Carlton Steps and up Regent Street to Piccadilly I obtained an insight into the slime ball world of the paparazzi, those hungry photographers who feel anybody is fair game for the “money shots” which appear in newspapers the next day. Here was the coverage and the photos in today’s papers

“LILY Allen was the talk of the GQ 20th anniversary dinner last night at St Alban. She arrived in one outfit, changed before dinner got under way and by the end of the evening had slipped into a third costume. No wonder she laddered her tights in the process. As the Veuve Clicquot flowed, guests, who included Nancy Dell'Olio and David Walliams, were still digesting the results of the American election. Historian Andrew Roberts revealed he had been to five parties on election night cementing his reputation as London's most ubiquitous party goer.”

And here is the panting porno prose description from the restaurant’s web site;

“St Alban is the latest restaurant from Chris Corbin and Jeremy King, owners of The Wolseley and former proprietors of Le Caprice, The Ivy and J. Sheekey. The restaurant's comfortable, contemporary interior has been realised by Stiff & Trevillion in collaboration with Michael Craig-Martin, whose murals decorate the walls and windows and complement the artwork of Damien Hirst. His works are displayed throughout the restaurant and include the gloriously titled 'Jubilation'. The 22ft long painting is made up of hundreds of butterfly wings in a mandala-like pattern, and expands on the iconic motif of the butterfly as a symbol of beauty, love and fragility.”


St. Alban

Well that is the glamorous public image and what appears in the papers but from what I saw last night the reality of paparazzi London which results in these pictures in the papers is very different. Indeed it provoked sympathy for Lily Allen, Amy Winehouse, Naomi Campbell, Sienna Miller and others who are subject to continuous intrusion from that most parasitic of occupations the paparazzi. Indeed I would applaud Sienna Miller who has launched a legal battle against News International and photo agency Big Pictures at the High Court.


Amy Winehouse battling with Paparazzi outside her flat

Law firm Carter-Ruck has served a writ for breach of privacy against the News of the World, the Sun, and the Big Pictures agency relating to a series of articles about the star. It is believed that the writ relates to two articles that appeared in the Sun where Big Pictures contributed photos. The stories and pictures reported on Miller's holiday in Italy and also referred to her friendship with Balthazar Getty, heir to the Getty oil fortune. Miller is taking action over a further two articles that appeared in the News of The World.



In March 2009 year media specialists Carter-Ruck obtained a legal injunction to protect pop star Lily Allen from harassment by Big Pictures and rival agency Matrix Photos. Carter-Ruck also obtained an injunction "restraining further harassment" by other paparazzi photographers in a case which was presented to the high court by barrister David Sherborne, who also represented Winehouse.



Allen's move followed a collision outside her London home between her car and that of a photographer, after which cameramen continued to follow her. Photographers covered by the order have been ordered not to pursue or follow Allen by any means or approach her within 100 metres of her home. They are also forbidden from taking pictures of her at her home or at the homes of any members of her family or friends.


Paparazzi break Lily Allen's car window outside The Groucho Club, Soho

As I walked up the road I was nearly knocked over by a Vauxhall Astra reversing at speed off Regent Street into a side road by a young driver who turned out to be one of the Paps. When I berated him for his dangerous driving he was abusive, as obviously I was interfering with his right to run over pedestrians and park illegally on a corner whilst driving without a seatbelt in pursuit of the “money shot”. At the next corner where there is the entrance to St. Alban there was a scrum of 12 photographers already waiting. The Restaurant keeps its entrance clear with two rope barriers so the photographers blocked the pavement and pedestrians were forced onto the road.


Victoria and David Beckham leaving St Alban

As I crossed to the far side of the road a Mercedes with a driver and a passenger in the back drew up and there was roaring and shouting and an outburst of flashes. A small and rather beautiful young woman got out of the back – it was Lily Allen looking in the flesh somewhat lovelier than she does in photos wearing a beautiful ruffled light pink number. A scooter with a photographer and an “L” plate on it pulled up behind Lily Allen’s car and the guy jumped off leaving his scooter running in the middle of the road – he had obviously been following Lily from her home. The Pack of Paps crowded around her pushing each other out of the way and sticking lenses into her face and flashing away all the time while barking in braying unison “here Lily” “ Smile Lily” “This way Lily”. Lily performed, smiled and eventually they parted slightly as the bouncers led her on a zig zag route into St. Alban. No doubt if Lily had scowled, inadvertently showed some underwear or tripped that would have been the next morning’s “money shot” no doubt with a fabricated heading such as “Lily’s love agony” or “Lily shows the strain” or some such nonsense.



Looking back there were two car parked on double yellow lines on the corner with photographer’s boards on the dash – it occurred to me these were deliberately illegally parked on a corner so drop offs to St. Alban could only take place (also on a double yellow) in front of the Paps lenses. Public space is just that and belongs to us all and should not be stolen from us be it by the Paps or Tesco. Just one block away from St. Alban is the club “Tiger, Tiger” where currently there is a trial underway about two car bombs which were similarly illegally parked. So what are the Metropolitan Police and Westminster Council doing about the danger of public space being abused, telling us that if something else happens in the west End they’ll have good CCTV pictures to show us after the fact?



Singer Amy Winehouse fought back against paparazzi photographers keen to record every aspect of her troubled private life, winning a high court anti-harassment injunction and posting the ruling outside her new home in the London suburbs.
Winehouse, who has been a ubiquitous presence in the tabloids ever since her Mercury-nominated album Frank was released secured the injunction in May 2009 to prevent her being pursued by photographers after her move earlier this year from her central London home to a more sedate neighbourhood.


Paparazzi record the delivery of a sunbed to Amy Winehouse's home in March 2009. The anti-harassment ruling has now been posted outside the house in north London.

The order bans leading paparazzi agency Big Pictures from following Winehouse but also refers to any "persons unknown" seeking to photograph the musician outside her home and in other public places if they have pursued her.

A source close to Winehouse's management team said that the injunction was sought because press attention had made her life "unsafe".

"Every time she got in her car she was chased or was jostled, and it has become unsafe not just for her, but the people around her," the source said. "We don't have the problem with the press doing their job but it has been mayhem a couple of times and Amy had to do something."

So, good luck to Naomi Campbell,Amy Winehouse, Sienna Miller and others who are taking firm action against this appalling intrusion and harassment. As for Lily Allen I truly felt sorry for her having to endure this rubbish everywhere she goes and making a Faustian pact with the Shabby Pap Pack to keep smiling, grit her teeth and hope for the best in next mornings papers. So shame on the toothless and useless Press Complaints Commission and to the supine editors who buy and publish the shoddy goods of the Pap Pack 10 years after they hounded Princess Diana to her death.

Shame on;

Veronica Wadley, Evening Standard
Rebekah Wade, The Sun
Paul Dacre, Daily Mail
Richard Wallace, Daily Mirror
Lloyd Embley, People
Colin Myler, News of the World
Sarah Ivens, OK Magazine
Miranda Priestly, Hello Magazine
Melinda Shaw, Heat Magazine


Rebekah Wade, The Sun

Shame on them all in their plush offices and false respectability whilst financing the Pap Goon Squad and its tawdry trade. And shame on the Paps who have so little respect for themselves and those around them. But there again from what I saw, lack of self respect seems to be a qualification for being a Paparazzi in the first place!